diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index d123d11fed..87d0a72b26 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ jobs:
   # -----------------------------------------------------------------
   staging:
     name: Deploy to Staging
-    if: ${{ !failure() && !cancelled() && (github.event.inputs.deploy == 'Staging Only' || github.event.inputs.deploy == 'Staging + Prod') }}
+    if: ${{ !failure() && !cancelled() && (github.event.inputs.deploy == 'Staging Only' || github.event.inputs.deploy == 'Staging + Prod' || github.ref_name == 'release') }}
     needs: [prepare, release]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment:
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ jobs:
   # -----------------------------------------------------------------
   prod:
     name: Deploy to Production
-    if: ${{ !failure() && !cancelled() && github.event.inputs.deploy == 'Staging + Prod' }}
+    if: ${{ !failure() && !cancelled() && (github.event.inputs.deploy == 'Staging + Prod' || github.ref_name == 'release') }}
     needs: [staging]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment:
diff --git a/dev/build/datatracker-start.sh b/dev/build/datatracker-start.sh
index c6f9f3bf4c..31cf7a5b7c 100644
--- a/dev/build/datatracker-start.sh
+++ b/dev/build/datatracker-start.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ trap 'trap "" TERM; cleanup' TERM
 
 # start gunicorn in the background so we can trap the TERM signal
 gunicorn \
+          -c /workspace/gunicorn.conf.py \
           --workers "${DATATRACKER_GUNICORN_WORKERS:-9}" \
           --max-requests "${DATATRACKER_GUNICORN_MAX_REQUESTS:-32768}" \
           --timeout "${DATATRACKER_GUNICORN_TIMEOUT:-180}" \